Kokomo Opalescent Glass Works

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The Kokomo Opalescent Glass Works of Kokomo, Indiana, is the oldest manufacturer of hand cast, rolled cathedral and opalescent glass in America, and the oldest manufacturer of opalescent glass in the world. In continuous operation since 1888, [1] it was founded by Charles Edward Henry (born Paris, France about 1846), who was relocating his existing stained glass manufacturing business from New Rochelle, New York. KOG has long been an important supplier to the American stained glass industry, including documented sales to Louis Comfort Tiffany, [2] and in 1889, KOG won a gold medal at the Paris World Exposition for their multi-colored window glass. [3] Among the important buildings fitted with glass from the manufacturer is the Chicago Public Library’s Central Library’s Book Delivery Room, which is now the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center. [4]

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KOG was a leader in the development of opalescent glass from its origins, and has hundreds of color recipes, documented color combinations, and numerous textures and density formulas in sheet glass. [5] Variation is one of the hallmarks of the way the glass is made, still using equipment for the hand-mixed roller table process that was first installed in the early 1900s.

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References

Stained Glass Association of America, Stained Glass Magazine, Spring 1992, Vol. 87, No. 1

  1. "Kokomo Visitors Bureau". Archived from the original on 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  2. Moonan, Wendy (6 December 2002). "ANTIQUES; A Genius With a Flair For Lamps (Published 2002)". The New York Times.
  3. "History of Stained Glass". Archived from the original on 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  4. Blasius, Elizabeth (April 27, 2024). "There's A Place Called Kokomo (Opalescent Glass)". MAS Context. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  5. Kokomo Glass